Horapollon

Greco-Egyptian scholar

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June 17, 2026

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Horapollon was a Greco-Egyptian scholar who lived in the 5th century CE. He is known for his work Hieroglyphica, which was the only significant text on Egyptian hieroglyphs from late antiquity to survive. However, the search results indicate that Horapollon himself could not read hieroglyphic writing and incorrectly believed that hieroglyphs were purely symbolic or allegorical, rather than phonetic signs. His work, though influential during the Renaissance, was based on a misunderstanding of the script. The accurate decipherment of hieroglyphs was later achieved by Jean-François Champollion in 1822, who recognized their phonetic nature.12

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hieroglyphic writing
Decipherment of hieroglyphic writing
…been preserved: the Hieroglyphica of Horapollon, a Greek Egyptian who probably lived in the 5th century ce. Horapollon made use of a good source, but he himself certainly could not read hieroglyphic writing and began with the false hypothesis of the Greek tradition—namely, that hieroglyphs were symbols and allegories, not…
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…been preserved: the Hieroglyphica of Horapollon, a Greek Egyptian who probably lived in the 5th century ce. Horapollon made use of a good source, but he himself certainly could not read hieroglyphic writing and began with the false hypothesis of the Greek tradition—namely, that hieroglyphs were symbols and allegories, not…
Read More